Hay-fork.



'.'lfHlElOlDORE TRSON, 0F IDECGRAH, IOWA.

HAY-FORK. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented dpr.. %3

Application tiled July 2, 1917. Serial No. 173,293'.

.To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it lrnown theol, "lh-moonen lr-r'onsorr9 a citizen oit the UnitedStates, residing at Decorah, in the county of Winneshiek .and

State et lewe, have invented certain new and useful llmprovements inHay-Forks, of

which the following is 'e specification.

My improvement relates to what is commonly termed double-harpoon hayforlr..

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rhe object of my improvement is to overcome a certein defect inherent inthe usual .structure of such i'orks,- specifically, the clamping actionbetween the cross bars and the hay which causes the trip ing ropes tobind, malringitexceedingl di culttorelease the load when desired. hlt iswell known among the users oit the implement that if the forli: ispressed down into the load as deeply as possible it will force the crossbars against the hay and thereby clamp the tripping ropes; this makes itnecessary to withdraw the forlr slightly which consumes considerabletime and strength. lt is my object to remedy this dilliculty and therebymake the handling ot' the hay fork easier and render its operation moreellicient.

ln the annexed drawing which forms part of my specilication, Figure 1 isa side view ot the forli: with one barb'in position to retainthe load.

Fig. 2 is e side elevation of the fork. Fig. 3 is a mdicstion showingone'way in which my object may be accomplished.

Fig. fl is a plan view of the modification shown in Fig.. 3.

lig. 5 is an elevation ot another modication. lg. shown lig. tion.

llig. shown d is a-plan view of the modication in 5. 'l is nn elevationof enother modifica 8 is a pion view ofthe modilieation in Fig. 7.' 9 isan elevation of another mpditicel0 is a plein view ot the modificationin Fig @.f 4 llig. ll is a plan viewjot the ordinary rope guide used forthe tripping rope.

lig. is a, plan view ot e double eyeleted rope mide which will preventthe ropes from becoming twisted.

Fig. l3.is a perspective view of the pre fel-red form of my improvedrope guide..

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseverel views.

A represents the top or yoke ot the "trame, formed from flat barironwith curved endn to which the legs or prongs are secured B and B are theprongs, formed by welding two flat bars of iron together et one endv anddrawn out to form the points or thrust ends of the prongs. The remainderof the prongs throughout are contructed with o, space between them toadmit of other ports of the mechanism,.as hereinafter described.-

, C and C are the tie-bars, also used to sus'- taiu the eye hereinafterdescribed.

D and D are the levers to trip or loclr the fork, the upper ends formedto fit the under side of theeurved yoke to be protected thereu by, andalso to bring them more centrally over the eyes. i

E and E are the links that connect the levers with the barbs.

lllli dll F and F are the stud-rivets, milled downA Ell)- sides of theprongs rigidly to the tiebars,

and allowing sufficient space between the shoulders to admit of the freeuse of this space for a fulcrum for the llevers D and D.

H and H 1re the barbs, designed, with the aid of the links'E and E andthe levers D and D', to secure the load to the torh when thrust into thehay, and to release it when carried to the desired location.

l( is the double eyed rope-guide, con structed with separateeyes, toprevent the ropes leading to the two levers D and D' from becomingtwisted andentangled with cach other, as they frequently do when thesingleeyed guide is used. Where new rope is employed, this difficultydetracts materially from the effective working of the torlr, hs in theentanglement of the two ropes it invari llll v shorter rope will receiveall of the exertion between the sides communicated to the tripping-ropeby the operator.

' L is the trip-rope, communicating with .the levers D and D.

M is the manipulating-rope, communieating between the operator and thetriprope on the fork.

N and N are the rivets connecting the links E and E with the barbs H andH.

O and O are therivets used as the fulcrums' forthe barbs H and H'.

P and P are pieces of metal, or other suitable materials', secured tothe'g-cross bars on either side of the rope-guide and extendingdownwardly to a distance of one inch or over so that the hay X will bepressed away as shown leaving a free space between it and lie press barswherein'the ropes L may slide lHaving described the different parts ofthe fork, as indicated by letters, I will give you the mode of operatingthe same. Press the levers D and D down into the position as-shown at Din Fig. 1. This action causes the barbs H and H', through the agency ofthe links AE and E', toclose within the space of the prongs B and B',thus leaving the points free 'of obstruction. Then thrust the prongsinto the hay to the desired depth, and raise the levers D and D into theposition as shown at D in Fig. 1. This action lof the levers D and D iscommunicated by the links E and E to the barbs I-I and' H', causing themto turn into the position as shown at H in Fig. 1. In this position thefork retains `the load until it is lifted into the mow or other desiredplace. By drawing the rope M the levers LD and D are drawn down intothetposition as shown at D in Fig. 1. When the load is released, thefork may be drawn back to the operator by the rope M o In Fig. 13 I haveshown what I consider at present, to be the most desirable form ofrope-guide embodying my invention. 10 represents the body portionthrough which the trip rope passes. 11 are recessed portions on eachside for receiving the cross bars c. At each end of the body portion 10are outwardly and downwardly extending flanges 12 which-proJect for` aconsiderable distance below the body portion 10. On

each side of the opening 13, I preferably provide tianges 14 next to theopening 13 although this is not essential to the proper working of myinvention.

It is seen that my invention is such that any fork may readily bechanged so as to embody my improvement by merely removing the oldrope-guide and replacing it with one embodying my invention. Although myactual improvement 1s limited to changes in the rope-guide itself it isbelieved that a new and patentable combination has been. invented forthe reason that the entire operation of the fork has been modified tosome extent making it easier to operate the fork both when loading andunloading the same, and my invention in its broadest form consists inadding to the ordinary hay fork, of the harpoon type, means such as Pand P which will prevent the hay from clamping the trip rope L. i

It is obvious that my invention may be carried out by many diierentspecific means which will perform the same function in substantially thesame way and I have shown four different modifications. In Fig. 3 I haveshown a modification in which the cross bars o have downwardly extendingprojections 1 on each side of the rope-guide. In Fig.,5 the rope-guideis provided with integral downwardly extending projections 2 bers 3 areriveted to the bars o on each side of` the rope-guide while in Fig. 9the usual rope-guide. has been omitted and two members 4 bent andsecured to the cross bars c 90 in the manner shown perform the doublefunction of rope-guide and anti-clamping means.

The various modifications shown are not believed to exhaust the variousways in which my` invention may be carried out but are merelyillustrative and I desire to claim my invention as broadlyr as possiblein view of the art.

Having' thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and wish tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a hay fork, in combination, two par-`allel harpoon penetrating members, each of said members being providedwith a hay retaining barb, means for rendering said barbl operative saidmeans comprising a system of toggles, -an operative member connected tosaid toggles for breaking the same, tie bars connecting the parallelhar- 110 poon members, an eyelet secured to said tie bars, lsaidoperating members extending through said eyelet to the underside of saidtie bars and means projecting downwardly ip proximity to said eyeletwhereby the pressure of the hay will be prevented from binding theoperative members.

2. In a hay fork; a U-shaped frame the sides of which form parallelprongs, hay retaining barbs at the ends of said pron s, tie barsconnecting said prongs, means or operating said barbs, said meanscomprising ropes passing betweeny the tie 4bars to4 the underside ofsaid bars and means connected to said tie bars for preventing clampingac- 126 tion between the hay and the bars at the point where theoperating ropes pass through the same.

3. In a hay fork; a U-shaped frame the sides of which form parallelprongs, hay 130 mesme Ito the underside o" the same and means forpreventing the hay from clamping the rope against the underside of thetie bars, said means being` provided with an opening which permits thefree passage of the rope.

4. An :i1-ticle oit nninnifueture Comprising a body portion having:ihole extending transversely therethrough, flanges :1t each I end ofsaid body portion being in :t plaine suhstgmtiully parallel to the unsof the hole,

saiol flanges, extending beyond the lioy por? tion on one side m thedirection or the ems orf seid hole whereby :in opening is providet'ithrough which L trip rope may reelyslide. 5. A. rope-guide 'for eharpoon hay fork comprising` alliocly portionn adapted to be- Seeured tothe cross hors of :i hay fork, sani body portion having :i holetheretlirough, menne :it euch end oi the body portion pro jeoting to oneSide of the saune, in the direc,- tion o'l the axis of the hole wherebyan opening is provided' which permits the guide-ropes to move -freely1nd prevents them 'from being' clmnpeil by the hay.

' THEDRE THU'SGN

